Spencer’s Fresh Market closing Atascadero store

July 9, 2013

Spencer’s Fresh Markets announced Tuesday it plans to close its store in Atascadero, citing an expiring lease as the reason.

“Our lease with NKT Commercial ends Aug. 31,” John Spencer said. “Spencer’s Fresh Markets is currently looking for another location in North County and hopefully in the next few months we will be making a more definitive announcement.”

Spencer is offering all his Atascadero employees jobs at his other stores in Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria.

Nick Tompkins, the president of NKT Commercial, purchased the property at 8665 El Camino Real several years ago.

Atascadero’s getting ready for a WalMart (like it or not), Paso just got a new Smart & Final and Templeton already has Trader Joe’s. So it seems very unlikely that we’ll ever see another Spencer’s in North County.

When the lease excuse comes up it means that the tenant wasn’t making enough money to cover their existing lease and counteroffered a new lease amount to the owner that was way below market. They know the property owner won’t say anything back publicly because its bad for business

Paso’s WalMart has disgusting meat/produce…but the proposed WalMart in A-town will be brand new and undoubtedly upgraded w/larger meat/produce section. I think Spencer’s is great but unfortunately they wouldn’t be able to compete price-wise w/a box store.

Not necessarily true. In San Luis Obispo, there are a lot of food-stamp shoppers (or whatever “comfortable” name it has now) that go there. That’s probably how they make most of their money.

I see them in line with me, buying name-brand whatever’s, while I am buying coupon-stuff, sale stuff, etc. Then they whip out their little government-issued plastic card and walk out with groceries we all bought. No coupons used, nothing on sale… and they did not look like they were poor or needy. It always saddens me to see a 20-something, well dressed and educated, using the free-food program.

There used to be a stigma about taking hand-outs. It was all about a hand-up, not a hand-out. Thanks to indoctrination and propaganda, that thought seems to have been mostly obliterated in today’s world. How many kids grow up thinking they must ask the government if it is OK to do something? “Is that legal?” “Are we allowed to do that?” “Do we need to get permission?” Holy cow, the founders are rolling over in their graves.